AppliedPhys, Volume 2, Issue 3 (September 2026) – 2 articles

Periodic grating structures allow for the excitation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) by matching the momentum of incident light to the plasmon mode. Herein, we investigate Au-coated sinusoidal gratings with depths from 50 nm to 280 nm using transmission and reflection spectroscopy. For gratings with an 806 nm period, increasing the modulation depths results in an SPR red shift of more than 125 nm, spectral broadening, and branch separation in the SPR dispersion. Rigorous coupled-wave analysis simulations using Gsolver (v5.2) reproduced the experimentally observed depth-dependent spectral trends. These results suggest that the grating modulation depth is a key structural parameter for tuning the SPR wavelength, bandwidth, and dispersion characteristics of a grating-coupled SPR system. Full article

The formation of carbon nanostructures and silicon carbide (SiC) using a single-source precursor offers a simplified route for material synthesis; however, the factors governing the transition between CNT-like structure formation and SiC growth remain unclear. In this study, the growth behavior of carbon-related structures using vinylsilane was systematically investigated by hot-wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on various substrates, including Fe bulk substrates and Fe thin films on SiO₂/Si. CNT-like structures were preferentially formed on Fe bulk substrates, whereas Fe thin-film substrates exhibited CNT-like growth at the initial stage followed by increased Si–C-related phase formation with increasing growth temperature and growth time. In contrast, on Fe thin films with limited catalyst amounts, CNT-like growth occurred initially, followed by increased Si–C-related phase formation with increasing growth temperature and growth time. These observations are consistent with a growth transition associated with the balance between Si uptake into the metal and surface SiC formation processes. By controlling catalyst amount, growth temperature, and growth time, the relative formation of CNT-like structures, SiC-rich coatings, and intermediate morphologies could be tuned within a single process. Furthermore, a SiC/CNT-like composite structure was directly formed on a conductive Fe substrate in a one-step CVD process. Electrochemical measurements showed an enhanced current response compared with a bare Fe substrate, indicating preliminary electrochemical activity and suggesting potential applicability as a high-surface-area electrode platform. Full article